Category Archives: Holidays

The leaves are turning and so is the weather. That means Halloween is just around the corner! I want to take the time to revisit a post of mine from a few years ago that’s been getting a lot of action on Pinterest and the web as well as many comments and questions. My little Curious George lover was the Man with the Yellow Hat when he was three. It was my version of a homemade costume (which means no sewing!). So today I will share with you how I put this together!

For the outfit: I looked everywhere for a bright yellow shirt and came up with nothing. That’s when I decided to try my first turn and dying clothes. So much fun! I bought a white oxford shirt and very light khaki pants from Old Navy (white would be better but was hard to find in the fall, and for boys!). Shirt can be found here. Similar pants found here. Following the directions on the package, I used yellow Rit Dye to turn both pieces the bold yellow I was looking for.

I used my husband’s brown socks and hiked them up over the pants, pairing them with his brown shoes. Debate on brown or black can happen between the book and the show, but I went old school. I’m a writer and a purist, what can I say?

For the hat: The hat is actually what I would call an adult pimp hat from a local Halloween store. Or perhaps some would call it a cowboy hat. Either way, I took black ribbon and adhered it to the hat with tacky glue. Now, because the hat was adult-sized, I glued in some foam pieces on either side above the ears to make it a bit more snug. Worked like a charm!

For the tie: Again, I don’t sew. So for the tie, I freehand drew an outline of a tie and cut it with felt. I cut black polka dots and stuck them to the tie with tacky glue. I then pinned the tie to the shirt with a safety pin.

Once little Lincoln picked up George, all he needed to do was say, “Now be a good little monkey…” and the costume was complete!

I hope this helps and that you and your little ones have a wonderful Halloween!

Every year, I treat my valentine (and in this case, my three valentines) to a special chocolate treat. As I’ve stated before and hopefully you’ve forgotten, I actually do not like chocolate. And not in the “I’ll eat this but it’s not my favorite” way but in the “if an M&M happens to make it’s way into my DQ Blizzard I might throw something at someone” way. It makes me less likable, I know this. People are literally offended at this fact so I try not to mention it. So, forget you ever read this. Now that we live a stone’s throw away from the mighty Mississip, I found it fitting to take on a truly chocolate pie. This was almost what I’d consider the Great Pie Fail of 2015, but it surprisingly turned out great. It’s got a flaky chocolate pie crust, an ooey gooey chocolate center and a fluffy whipped topping. Plus the shaved chocolate on top makes it look kind of fancy, don’t you think? Mississippi Mud Pie Crust: 1 2/3 C all-purpose flour 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and cold 2 TBSP sugar 3-4 TBS cold water Filling: 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 1 3/4 C packed light brown sugar 4 eggs 4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 C half and half Topping: 1 C heavy whipping cream 1 bar semisweet chocolate For the dough: Mix flour and cocoa in large mixing bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Gently mix in sugar. Drizzle cold water over dough and work into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough on a lightly flour surface. Place in pie dish or loose-bottomed tart pan. Place parchment paper on top and set dried beans or pie weights on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove parchment and beans. Bake for 10 more minutes. Set aside. For filling: Beat butter and sugar on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add cocoa one TBSP at a time. On the stove, melt chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl atop a pot of simmering water, stirring continuously. When melted, remove from heat and whisk in cream. Add chocolate mixture to bowl and beat at a medium speed. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Transfer to plate. In a mixture with a whisk attachment, beat whipping cream at a high speed for approximately 5-8 minutes or until thick. Spread on top of pie. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate to sprinkle over top. Slice and serve.

Can’t get enough chocolate? Try some of these for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day from our friends around the web!

Tomorrow is the big day but I’m already looking forward to the day after. And the day after that. That’s right. Thanksgiving leftovers. I can’t help myself when it comes to leftover turkey anything. Soup, sandwich, casserole, omelet, you name it! I’ve always been a sucker for the Chicken Wild Rice Soup from Panera (or as they call it here in STL, St. Louis Bread Co.) This recipe combines the juicy leftovers (dark meat too!) along with a creamy texture and savory rice to make for the perfect soothing post Thanksgiving Day meal. And if you’re like me and get sick every year around this time, it helps with that as well.

In a medium saucepan, add rice and water. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. The rice will not be fully done. Add rice and any remaining water to chicken stock mixture in large stock pot.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until mixture bubbles. Slowly whisk in milk. Whisk continuously until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add to large stock pot. Mix together and stir occasionally at a low heat until soup is thickened.

Ladle and enjoy!

When reheating leftovers, you may want to add a little extra milk to the mixture before reheating. The rice tends to pull in the liquid when saved.

Sick of pumpkin yet? Seems the stores this year are filled to the brim with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavored everything. When it comes down to it, there is nothing like a good old-fashioned slice of homemade pumpkin bread. So this year, I am joining up an easy and delicious pumpkin bread recipe with some white chocolate for these fabulously fall Pumpkin Bread Truffles. Like a classic pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, these little bites are a great treat for any fall or Halloween party. Feel free to add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the bread recipe for extra salt and texture.

When cooled, crumbled one pumpkin loaf into large mixing bowl. Slowly add half the container (about 3/4 C) cream cheese frosting and combine with hands. On a lined baking sheet, roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Refrigerate and cool for one or more hours.

Melt almond bark on stove top or in microwave according to package directions. Immediately roll pumpkin balls, one at a time, into melted bark, coating evenly. Place back on lined sheet and sprinkle immediately.

Repeat with second loaf if desired. Each loaf makes about 2 dozen Pumpkin Bread Truffles. Allow to set and harden before serving.

I’ve been Valentine’s nostalgic this year after signing up to bring the sweet treat for my little guy’s Valentine’s Day party at school. Nothing says Valentine’s Day more than Conversation Hearts. While these little heart-shaped sugar messages have evolved over the years – TXT ME, TWEET ME – the taste still brings back memories of stuffing little homemade mailboxes full of loving messages and treats.

I knew these three and four-year-olds would be hopped up on lots of sugary treats, so I wanted to make a bite sized treat to share. I put together these funfetti conversation heart cake balls that are as tasty as they are cute!

In a large mixing bowl, crumble cake. Add frosting and mush cake and frosting together with hands, working frosting through cake to mold together. Using a tablespoon or cookie dough scoop, scoop out 1-2 inch balls of dough and roll. Place onto foil lined baking sheet. Continue until all dough is used up. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

In microwave, melt candy melts according to directions. Using a teaspoon, drop balls, one at a time into candy melt mix. Full coat and slowly drop balls back onto foil lined sheet. Place one conversation heart on the top of each ball, pressing in. Put in a cool place to dry, at least one hour. Cover for up to one week or freeze for three months.

Looking for another comforting Valentine dessert? Try any of these from our friend’s around the web!

Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday. If not for my dislike for chocolate, my hatred for overpriced greeting cards and crowded restaurants, maybe I would enjoy it a bit more. But I am not a total curmudgeon. I still like to sprinkle my house with a few hearts and kisses and share an extra hug or two.

I am constantly seeing gorgeous pictures of holiday mantles. Unfortunately for me, I have no mantle. I use the space above my living room TV as a mantle, using shelves, pictures, wreaths and frames to break up the large wall. This Christmas I purchased a large, old frame for $2 from Goodwill and did a little chalkboard rehab on it (similar to this post). I hung it above my TV, tied a wreath on with some fabric and wrote “peace” at the bottom. I fell in love with it and decided I would use it all year long and switch it up of the different holidays and seasons.

For Valentine’s Day, I used all items I have laying around the house. It took about 10 minutes and brings cheer and color to the room!

Fold paper in half. Draw half-hearts and cut around with scissors. Make in slightly different sizes and shapes. I made four for each jute strand, eight in total.

Cut jute to desired lengths. Stick pushpin through the jute and affix to the back of the frame. Drape across the front and pin the other side to the opposite backside of the frame. Overlap for the second strand, following the same process.

Clip paper hearts to the strands. Write your favorite love phrase at the bottom with a few small hearts drawn with chalk and hang on the wall.

This is a very easy, very quick project. If you were more ambitious, you could sew some small fabric hearts to attach to the jute strands.

Well now that Thanksgiving is in our short, but distant past, Christmas season is rolling in with full force. We are excited to kick it off with a picture of Stef, with her son and niece, gracing the pages of the December/January issue of Taste of Home magazine! And also online, HERE.

Honey Crunch Cookies are a great alternative to an Oatmeal Scotchie. Made with rice cereal and butterscotch chips, they are a great option to add to your holiday cookie tray. For the Taste of Home recipe, click here.

We look forward to sharing holiday gift guides, cookie recipes, party ideas and other Christmastime cheer with you over the next month!